The truth about faux shiplap / $100 Room Challenge / Week 4

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Want to install faux shiplap at no cost? You’ve seen people draw pencil lines on their wall and getting awesome results? Here’s the truth.

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The original plan

In the first week of the $100 Room Challenge, I planned to cover the back wall with shiplap. I thought I’d find a clever solution between real shiplap and the faux shiplap made with plywood strips that can be seen everywhere lately.

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5

The goal was to hang the TV on the wall and the shiplap would have provided a solid backing. Since my family room is in the basement it’s a foundation wall so there’s no stud behind the wall, but 1 “x 3” strips.

Once the room was picked-up (see week 2 ), I found a major obstacle for my project:  winter!

Yes, we have a lot of snow here in Quebec. Even if the store cut the plywood into strips for me, I would have to cut it to the right length. In other words, I should have done a series of:

• Take the measure,
• Go up the stairs to the ground floor,
• Put on my boots and coat,
• Go outside (hoping the patio door is not frozen !!)
• Go down from the balcony,
• Get to the shed where is my table saw. (in my previously shuffled path),
• Come back and
• Install the shiplap hoping my measure was right!

And that, for EVERY strip !!! Uh NO!

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The modifications

Not abandoning, I began to wonder what I might do to enhance this space. And that’s when it hit me!

I already have a beautiful stone fireplace. Do I really want to divert attention to the TV? Put a white shiplap wall behind the TV of it would only bring it out more.

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It is always important to ask yourself what you want the focal point of the room to be.

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So I did the opposite and decided to paint the top of the wall white and the bottom a dark gray. It’s actually the Sico colour of the year 2018: Cast Iron (6173-83).

And voilà, the television is suddenly way less important!

I also decided to install two large shelves in the white part (coming next week) telling myself that I could put shiplap in this section. After a few calculations $$, I quickly came to the conclusion that I had to say goodbye to shiplap!

The truth about faux shiplap

If you do a quick search on Pinterest, you will see that some people have made faux shiplap at $0 simply by drawing pencil lines on the wall.

I thought, great! I’ll try!!

Good thing I did not have a big surface to cover because it’s the worst idea I’ve ever had!

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If, like me, you are just a bit perfectionist, don’t even think of doing this!

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I started to draw with a pencil, telling myself that I could erase if I made a mistake. Obviously, only a little millimeter of offset and I wanted to erase! Big mistake! It made a “beautiful” smudge! Maybe it’s just because my painting was freshly applied, I can’t say for sure.

And I worked with a level, so for sure it also left traces, even if it only slightly rubbed the wall. 🙁

The final look is not at all live up to my expectations. I asked my 9-year-old son: “Look at the beautiful planks Mommy installed!” Even he saw it was traced lines. As they say here, it’s beautiful from afar, but far from beautiful !!!

I thought to trace back with a black pencil, but I did not have the courage. I was afraid to do more damage to the wall. Maybe I’ll try my luck once the shelves are installed … to be continued!

** UPDATE: Check out my take 2 on faux pencil shiplap

Come back to see the reveal next week. 

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Here are again all the post on this challenge

Week 1 | Week 2 | Week 3 | Week 4 | Week 5

And don’t forget to pin and share!

See at which Link Party I like to participate here

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Now let’s see what the other participants are doing

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